Department Of National Parks Seeks Stronger Control Over Encroaching Farmers

[webfact]

DNP seeks stronger control over encroaching farmers

JANJIRA PONGRAI

THE NATION

Nakhon Si Thammarat

BANGKOK: -- The main forest watch agency will ask the Agriculture Ministry to register all farmers who grow rubber and oil-palm trees nationwide in a bid to prevent encroachment, which is one of the major causes of wildfires in protected peat swamp forests in two southern provinces.

Damrong Phidet, chief of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), said he has asked Deputy Agriculture Minister Natthawut Saikua to revise the law and force farmers who grow rubber and oil-palm trees to register their plots and provide ownership documents to the authorities.

He made this proposal after talking to Natthawut, Nakhon Si Thammarat Governor Wiroj Jiwarangsan, Office of the Royal Development Projects Board deputy secretary Kowit Pengwanich, and representatives from the Agricultural Land Reform Office and Provincial Royal Irrigation Office Area 15 about ways of controlling wildfires in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Patthalung.

He said huge fires in protected peat swamp forests were caused to make way for large rubber and oil-palm plantations in the South. Local people start fires to destroy large swathes of forests before occupying the land.

After touring on a helicopter to inspect the protected forestland in the South, starting from Prachuap Khiri Khan, Damrong said he had discovered that more than 90 per cent of the forest area had been destroyed by rubber and oil-palm plantations.

"The forest reserve areas are only visible on maps," he said.

Kowit, meanwhile, added that HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn had expressed concerns over the large forest fire that is currently raging in the protected peat swamp area and has told the DNP to install a system to maintain the water levels at the Pa Pru Kuan Kreng peat swamp forest.

To date, more than 1,300 of 1,997 rai of peat swamp forest in the Royal-initiated Pak Phanang River Basin Development Project has been destroyed by fire.

The local DNP office is now planning to recover the damaged forest areas by building barriers along 13 kilometres and planting trees in the peat swamps. Moreover, the DNP will also mark out 62,616 rai in Boh Loh forest area in Nakhon Si Thammarat province as non-hunting areas.

The DNP office said Malaysians had hired Thais to become their nominees and own 1,000 rai of land in Khuan Khreng peat swamp forest in Nakhon Si Thammarat. The authorities are checking their land-ownership documents. Some party list MPs, politicians and businessmen have allegedly been found involved in trespassing forestland so officials are also checking their land-ownership documents.

Visit www.nationmultimedia.com to watch the video clip titled "Fire Torches 15,000 rai of Peat Swamp Forest".

-- The Nation 2012-08-24

[jerrysteve]

More deforestation more drought more climate change

[KireB]

Quote: "The forest reserve areas are only visible on maps," he said"

Yes, what other proof do you need? Seems pretty simple to me, if an area is marked as a forest reserve (on the map) than it can not be a plantation and if it is a plantation, encroachment took place!

[chainarong]

let the punishment fit the crime, you should need a land clearing permit to knock down tree's, no permit, you do the time, simple, I think so.

[northernboy]

Quote: "The forest reserve areas are only visible on maps," he said"

Yes, what other proof do you need? Seems pretty simple to me, if an area is marked as a forest reserve (on the map) than it can not be a plantation and if it is a plantation, encroachment took place!

Of course you know these accurate maps are not public domain or readily available for low level forestry workers to check against in the field.

[Dibbler]

It's easy for him to fly around and point fingers at those damned Democrat supporting southerners and finger their involvement in corruption and forest encroachment. No red shirts here folks!!

[KireB]

Quote: "The forest reserve areas are only visible on maps," he said"

Yes, what other proof do you need? Seems pretty simple to me, if an area is marked as a forest reserve (on the map) than it can not be a plantation and if it is a plantation, encroachment took place!

Of course you know these accurate maps are not public domain or readily available for low level forestry workers to check against in the field.

No excuse of course, imagine they encroach the plants in your garden and they use this as an excuse. Also, those who send these poor and low level workers should be given the responsibility.

[stefb1964]

Can't help thinking of this man as a technology-retarded. Every country has planes and helicopters and agencies around that have access to satellites able to make surface pictures. Based upon gathered information using the means they have, they should get their agencies inspectors on the road to investigate and suggest all necessary actions to preserve their woods from deforestation.

It really becomes time they take action, not only in the south, but everywhere. I don't think that anybody out here would need a hint to understand why the politicians turn a blind eye on the yearly returning fires set by farmers in the mountains in the north. Meanwhile those farmers keep encroaching more land because nothing gets done. For the past few years I hear those fires need to be stopped and what else has been done so far but talking ?

Yes, I know..TIT

[Thai at Heart]

Can't help thinking of this man as a technology-retarded. Every country has planes and helicopters and agencies around that have access to satellites able to make surface pictures. Based upon gathered information using the means they have, they should get their agencies inspectors on the road to investigate and suggest all necessary actions to preserve their woods from deforestation.

It really becomes time they take action, not only in the south, but everywhere. I don't think that anybody out here would need a hint to understand why the politicians turn a blind eye on the yearly returning fires set by farmers in the mountains in the north. Meanwhile those farmers keep encroaching more land because nothing gets done. For the past few years I hear those fires need to be stopped and what else has been done so far but talking ?

Yes, I know..TIT

This is the very same country that turned down NASA and has a science minister who tried to push a flood out to sea with propeller and believes in animism and superstition.

Do you think this guy has the even faintest clue about satellite mapping?

He probably believes that hot air if keeping him in the air in the helicopter.........

Edited August 24, 2012 by Thai at Heart

[stefb1964]

Can't help thinking of this man as a technology-retarded. Every country has planes and helicopters and agencies around that have access to satellites able to make surface pictures. Based upon gathered information using the means they have, they should get their agencies inspectors on the road to investigate and suggest all necessary actions to preserve their woods from deforestation.

It really becomes time they take action, not only in the south, but everywhere. I don't think that anybody out here would need a hint to understand why the politicians turn a blind eye on the yearly returning fires set by farmers in the mountains in the north. Meanwhile those farmers keep encroaching more land because nothing gets done. For the past few years I hear those fires need to be stopped and what else has been done so far but talking ?

Yes, I know..TIT

This is the very same country that turned down NASA and has a science minister who tried to push a flood out to sea with propeller and believes in animism and superstition.

Do you think this guy has the even faintest clue about satellite mapping?

He probably believes that hot air if keeping him in the air in the helicopter.........

Just my point..a technology-retarded..

[Dibbler]

Can't help thinking of this man as a technology-retarded. Every country has planes and helicopters and agencies around that have access to satellites able to make surface pictures. Based upon gathered information using the means they have, they should get their agencies inspectors on the road to investigate and suggest all necessary actions to preserve their woods from deforestation.

It really becomes time they take action, not only in the south, but everywhere. I don't think that anybody out here would need a hint to understand why the politicians turn a blind eye on the yearly returning fires set by farmers in the mountains in the north. Meanwhile those farmers keep encroaching more land because nothing gets done. For the past few years I hear those fires need to be stopped and what else has been done so far but talking ?

Yes, I know..TIT

You are assuming that knowing the nature of the problem allows them to find solutions. That's not necessarily the case. If it's true that the fires have been started by individuals who are angling to have the forest sold off to developers, then those individuals may be aligned with local political interests, and the DNP DG might have little or no influence on them, just as he probably has little or no influence on the dark characters behind much of the encroachment by resorts in Phuket. He can only send in his field people to stop cases that involve influences that he can control i.e. small fry that are red in affiliation. Not many of those sort in Nakhon Sri Thammarat. He's probably very happy to fly over those forests without ever landing, pointing his fingers at the problem, having a photo op done for the newspapers, then hurrying back to the safety of his office in Bangkok.

[hellodolly]

Can't help thinking of this man as a technology-retarded. Every country has planes and helicopters and agencies around that have access to satellites able to make surface pictures. Based upon gathered information using the means they have, they should get their agencies inspectors on the road to investigate and suggest all necessary actions to preserve their woods from deforestation.

It really becomes time they take action, not only in the south, but everywhere. I don't think that anybody out here would need a hint to understand why the politicians turn a blind eye on the yearly returning fires set by farmers in the mountains in the north. Meanwhile those farmers keep encroaching more land because nothing gets done. For the past few years I hear those fires need to be stopped and what else has been done so far but talking ?

Yes, I know..TIT

If the plantation is rubber or palm it is still wooded. Would the satellite pictures make a distinction on there photos as to what kind of forestation is down there?

[Reasonableman]

Can't help thinking of this man as a technology-retarded. Every country has planes and helicopters and agencies around that have access to satellites able to make surface pictures. Based upon gathered information using the means they have, they should get their agencies inspectors on the road to investigate and suggest all necessary actions to preserve their woods from deforestation.

It really becomes time they take action, not only in the south, but everywhere. I don't think that anybody out here would need a hint to understand why the politicians turn a blind eye on the yearly returning fires set by farmers in the mountains in the north. Meanwhile those farmers keep encroaching more land because nothing gets done. For the past few years I hear those fires need to be stopped and what else has been done so far but talking ?

Yes, I know..TIT

If the plantation is rubber or palm it is still wooded. Would the satellite pictures make a distinction on there photos as to what kind of forestation is down there?

Yes. And if you are growing weed, they can spot it.